PORTLAND, OR (ANS) -- Leadership can be lonely. When you’re the mayor, people who talk to you very often want something from you. That’s why Portland, Oregon, Mayor Tom Potter was so surprised when one citizen – a prominent international figure – asked what he and his network of local leaders and activists could do for the mayor and the city.

“In all my years of public service,” says Potter, “I rarely have people ask what they can do for me – and for our city. My answer, of course, was immediate – please help us solve the problem of homelessness.”

Luis Palau (www.portlandcityfest.com/luis_palau), the international Christian speaker who approached Potter, and his team have helped organize local churches to volunteer for the public good.